This invention relates to the manufacture of nuclear fuel pellets by a multi-cavity pellet press apparatus, where it is desired to provide workpiece pellets of substantially constant lengths. It is known to provide press apparatus including a plurality of upper punches that are hydraulically operated and mounted in a support head and coupled with a hydraulic pressure compensator that provides a controlled and similar pressure to all pellets within a like plurality of cavities to determine a substantially uniform and constant density of the respective pellets. It is known that a multiple cavity press apparatus, when a substantially constant density individual pellet is desired and formed, can result in some variation in the respective pellet lengths because of powder material characteristic differences and the gravity filling of the plurality of pellet cavities. Each pellet forming cavity includes a respective lower punch that can be adjusted in position to control the desired length of the pellet formed in that cavity.